Motor vehicle construction



June 25, 1935. EBE 2,006,320

MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 1O, 1932 Sheets-Sheet l ffezzzy/fzzefier June 25, 1935. HUEBER MOTOR VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 10. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Ill 1 illlllllIHIIKIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIllll IM I Jimmy/I219? Patented June 25, 1935 UNl'llEDis TATES 2,006,326 I A vnnrou: CONSTRUCTION MOTOR PATENT OFFICE Henry Hueber. Buii'alo, N. Y., assignor to Trice Products Corporation, Buffalo, N. Y.

,Application October 10. 1932,-Serlai No. 631,173

6 Claims. (01. 15455) This invention relates to the mounting oi automatic windshield cleanersupon motor vehicles,

and it has particular relation to the association of the. windshield cleaner elements relative to the construction of-certain parts of the motor vehicle.

One object of the inventionis to correlate the construction of a windshield cleaner and the elements on an automotivevehicle in such manner l that the cleaner motor maybe mounted in a position offset from the location of the. wiper blade mounting of the cleaner and without reelements of the cleaner.

Another object of the invention is to provide spect to the alignment of the'motor and blade .a construction in which the windshield cleaner is incorporated beneath the hood ofan automobile and operating elements of the cleaner .are'

from the cleaner motor whereby the motor may. i

be vmounted in an ofljset or maligned position relative to the position of blade. y

Inthe drawings: I e Fig. 1 is a fragmentary phantom view ofthe body of a motor vehicle and an elevation of a windshield cleaning device mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross section of portions of a vehicle body, and a windshield cleaning device mounted theron is shownpartially in ele--.-=

vation and partially in section. I i Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of portions/of a windshield cleaningdevice. v

Fig. ,4 is a fragmentary cross section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line- I V 63 that is rigidly mounted upon the cowlil of IV- -IV of. Fig. 1. v r

Fig. 5 is a cross section similar toFig. 2 and illustrating another form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken substantially along the line VI--VI of Fig. 5. n I

Referring tov Figs.= 1, 2 and 3,. a windshield cleaning device I0 is mounted upon a vehicle Ii and comprises an electric motor I! supported upon a bracket I5 that is rigidly secured upon one side of an inwardly disposed flange. it of a vehicle cowl i1. Abearing bracket I8 is mounted in opposed relation to the, bracket IS on the opposite side of the flange it. Suitable coninvention is to provide the windshield wiper receives a rod 58 having a. spline connection I! guiding-it in the tubular extension. A

nections is extending through the brackets and flange i6 insure rigid assembly of theseelements. The motor is located beneath the vehicleho'od 20 and'is suppliedwith electrical energy through a conductor 22 communicating with a? suitable electrical battery or generator (not shown) of the vehicle. I I n A driving'pinion 23' rigid with a drive shaft 25 of the motor meshes with a relatively large reduction gear 26 that has a journal connection 21 to thesupporting bracket i5. One of the spokes II of the gear serves as a cranklarm whichvhas" a pivotal connection 29 to one end of Ta pitman,

Ill. The other end of the 'pitman has a pivotal connection 32 to one end of a rack 33 that is'reciprocable and extends through openings 35 in the bracket i5 and flange it into a bore orfguideway I. of the bearing bracket" I 8'. A segmental gear 31 meshing with the rack 33 has an axial shaft I that is rigidtherewith'and is journalled horizontally in the bracket; A cover 39 issecured by means of suitable connections 50 upon the bracket ll for properly housing, inconjunction with the bracket, the intermeshing portions of the segmental gear and'rack. n Each end of the shaft is connected to a flexible shafting unit 52 including a universal joint I3; one'portion of which projects outwardly in v the form of a tubular extension 55 that slidably spline connection 58 at the opposite end portion of the rod provides for non-rotatable slidable connection-of the rod ma tubularextension so offa,

universal joint 60. The flexible shafting units are on opposite sides of thelbracket i8, and connected to each end of the shaft to provide for proper constitutes a part of the universal connection I transmission of power from the motor for con: necting the segmental-gear to a cleaner arm operating shaft 62. g The inner end of the shaft 62 and the shaft is journalled' in a bearing housing the vehicle. Suitable sound deadening and cushioning material or packing 65 is inserted between the bearing housing and the surface'of the cowl.

. Each bearing housing 63 is disposed at an in,- cline upon the surface of the cowl, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the shaft extends axially through the housing until its end opposite the universal joint Ill projects into a chamber ll (Fig. 4) and has a bevel gear 61 rigidly secured thereto. .A second bevel gear 68 meshing with the portion of a shaft II that hasone end journalled I53 and for the purpose of inspecting or lubricating the bevel gears.

Each wiper arm I2 extends at an incline sub-. stantially parallel to an inclined windshield I1 and has a pivotal connection I8 to a windshield. wiper blade I9. From the mean position of .the:

wiper blade, as viewed in Fig. 1, it is adapted to be actuated downwardly in a circular path. After the blade has completed its strokein either direction, foreign matter, such as moisture, will be in position to fall downwardlyaway from, rather than into, the cleansed area. Continuous operation of theelectric motor reciprocates the rack 33 ahdhenca'causes the oscillation ofthe' blade across the windshield. 1 i.

In the formof the inventionshown in Figs. 5

I and 6, a windshield cleaning device H0 is mounted upon avehicle I II and is driven. by an electric motor I I2 mounted upon a supporting bracket I I6 that is rigidly secured upon one. side of a flange H6 oi" a vehicle cowl III in opposed relation to a bracket I I8 secured on the opposite side oiv the'cowl flange.

' rigid mounting of these parts. Thus, the motor Suitable connections II! e gtending through the bracket and flange insure and its operating elements are mounted underneath the vehicle. hood I20. I

The electric motor II2 carried by the bracket I I5 has apinion I23 on its driving shaft I26 for meshing engagement with a reduction gear. I26

that in' turn is rotatabl'y mounted on a bearing. I21 of .thebracket I I5. One of the spokes I26 of the gear wheel I26 serv'e'sas a crank arm and has a pivotal connection I29 to one end oi a pitportion of the.pit--' man projects through openings I35 toa position; beneath the bracket II8 where it ispivotedto the man I30 andthe other end endof an arm I36 extending rigidly from an intermediate portion of ashaft Ill, sections I39 cooperating with the integral lower portion of the bracket I "provide a Journal support for the shaft I36 andare secured to the bracket by suitable fastening devices I56. The bracket H6 has a recess ISI for receiving the atan intermediate portion of the shaft I36.

Each end of this shaftis provided with 8. flexible shafting unit .I 62 including universal joints I 60 and rods I 56 of the same construction as the'flexible shafting unit 52. Likewise, a bear-.

ing housing I63, windshieldcleaner arm II2, andwiper blade I19 are constructed and mounted in the same manner as the corresponding elements described with reference to Figs. 1 to, 4,,and hence I additional description thereofjs not necessary. By operating the motor II2 the-arm I I6 is oscil-. lated and. the oscillatory movement is transmitted through the flexible shafting to the'wiper arm I12 for moving the blade across the. surface of the vehicle windshield I11. I

The cowl and the engine hood reallyconstitute a body portion extending forwardly from the windshieldand conjointly serve to house and con- I ceal the windshield cleaner operating mecha nism, the drive or power means for such mecharm J36.

ing member clamped therebetween,

anism being preferably disposed on the front of the flange or partitioning wall I6 (H6). This wall partitions the engine compartment, beneath the hood, from the passenger compartment or the space beneath the cowl. In practice it is preferred to extend the transmission means from the drive or power means through this partitioning wall into the compartment or'space beneath the cowland thence upwardly throughaweather proof opening in the cowl to the wiper actuating arm I12.

elements in the position shown in the drawings they are accessible for repair-or inspection without removingany portion of the vehicle and they may be mounted without marring the streamlining or ornamental characteristics of the motor vehicle. 1

Although only the preferred forms of the invention have been shown and describedin detail,

it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited but that various changes may be made therein without depart- By mounting the vehicle windshield cleaning ing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1. In a cowl construction for a motor vehicle I having a windshield mounted in conjunction'i therewith, an inwardly turnedflangezon'the cowl disposed forwardly of the'windshield', supporting means on the forward side of the gflange' oi the cowl, a cleaner motor connected to the Sup rt ing means, and transmission means extending,

rearwardly from the motor through the flange and through .thecowl to a location adjacent the vehicle-windshield forjoperating a windshield. t

wiper.

2. In a'cowl construction fora motor vehicle having a windshield mounted in conjunction therewith, an inwardly turned flange on the cowl disposed forwardly of thewindshieldsupportin'g means mounted "on the flange to extend onfoppositesides thereof with the flange clamped be-,

mounted on the supporting means'onthe forward side of the flange, andtransmission means ex- .tween portions of said means, a cleaner'motor' Itending rearwardly from the motor-"through the l flange and through the cowlto a location adiacent thevehicle windshield for operating the."

.winer blade, said transmission meansincl uding flexibleshafting, 7

3. In a cowl construction for a motor vehicle having a windshield mounted in conjunction therewith, a supporting member carried by'and extending inwardly of the com construction and forwardly of the" windshield, a pair of opposed brackets mounted upon forward and rearward sides of the supporting member with the'supporb' a motor mounted upon the forward bracket, and power transmission means extending rearwardly from .the motor through the supporting member and through the brackets to a location adjacent the, vehicle windshield for operating a windshield. :wiper, apart of said transmission means being carried by the other bracket.

4. In a cowl construction for a motor vehicle "having a windshield mounted'above and in con- V junction therewith, an inwardly turned flange formed on the cowl construction, a pair of op= posed brackets mounted on opposite sides of the flange and supported thereb'y below the cowl, a

motor mounted upon one of the bracketsQsaid brackets andflange having registering openings,

and power transmission means including a member reciprocable by the motor through said registering openings and having portions thereof carried by the bracket at the side of the flange opposite the motor, said transmission means also including flexible shafting connected to the reciprocable member and extending through the cowl to a location adjacent the vehicle windshield for operating a windshield wiper.

5. A motor vehicle body construction having a windshield and a forwardly extending body portion, a downwardly extending support carried by the body portion forwardly of the windshield, a rotatable drive shaft disposed beneath said forwardly extending body portion and mounted on the forward side of said support, a wiper oscillatable back and forth over the windshield in an arcuate path, means on said forwardly extending body portion for oscillatably supporting the wiper in advance of the windshield, and transmission means connecting the rotatable drive shaft and extending rearwardly in connected relation to' said wiper supporting means and including means for translating the rotary motion of the drive shaft into an oscillatory motion for imparting the oscillatory movement to said wiper, a portion of the transmission means being carried by said support on the rear side thereof opposite the drive shaft.

6. In a cowl construction for a motor vehicle having a windshield mounted in conjunction therewith, a wall extending inwardly from the cowl and disposed forwardly of the windshield,

supporting means on the forward side of the wall,

a windshield cleaner drive member connected to the supporting means, and transmission means extending rearwardly from the drive member through the wall and through the cowl to a location adJacent the vehicle windshield-for operating the windshield wiper.

HENRY HUEBER. 

